The invention relates to a method for calculating charges in telecommunications networks.
Further, the invention relates to a device for executing the method according to the invention.
Methods for calculating charges in telecommunications networks are prior-known.
The object of our own European patent application 96199 966.8, not prior-published, is a method for feeding credit or rendering-usable a telephone card for at least one cellular phone, that can be used in a mobile radio network, possibly together with a fixed telephone network, in which the telephone card is not itself fed the credit, but is fed a stipulated value only in the network. The feeding of this telephone card can be performed in a services platform, for example a services platform for Intelligent Networks (IN), in a Service Mode such as VASS (Value Added Services System) or in the Mobile Switching Station (MSC). There the telephone card is fed via telephone by the customer himself over a special call number.
The non-prior published European patent application describes for this a stipulated process course and also a security checking which is carried out in different testing steps. The non-prior published process occurs with the aid of a credit card which is issued in cooperation with a third party who appears as issuer.
In the non-prior-published European patent application of our own there is furthermore described a device for the execution of the process there, which comprises a mobile telephone network, which cooperates if need be with a fixed telephone network, in which there are contained: Network Interface Manager (NIM), MSC, Home Location Register (HLR), Voicemail Service Center (VMSC), Short Message Service Center (SMSC), a services platform, for example, VASS, AdC with Green Card-Workaround (GC-WA), Customer Service Center (CSC), Base Station Controller (BSC), Base Transreceiver Station (BTS), Credit Card System, and at least one cellular phone with a telephone card which is to be made refeedable or reusable, possibly with inclusion of a fixed network telephone.
Furthermore, refeedable throw-away cards were appraised as state of the art in the specification of our own above-mentioned European patent application.
From EP 0 698 987 A2 and in GB-A-2 215 897 A there are likewise described processes for making telephone cards reusable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,155 relates generally to a process for the prepayment of telecommunication charges.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,535, there is prior-known a mobile radio network with a radio exchange center and a subscriber data file, by means of which incoming calls are selected of such mobile radio subscribers to which in each case a credit account is allocated and with, network elements of an intelligent network by means of which the selected call are exchanged (vermittled) and charged.
From DE-A-44 12 727 A1 there is prior-known a device for the calculating of charges in a mobile radio system. For the calculating of charges in such a mobile radio system, in which a plurality of mobile radio stations, base stations and mobile radio exchange stations are provided, the mobile radio exchange stations are connectable with a debit center. The debit center receives in each case pre-fed amounts from a banking institution from which charges can be debitted. In the claiming of services by the mobile station these amounts are booked. The pre-feeding occurs with use of an intelligent network, in which the debit center is constructed as part of a service control center and is connectable with transmission arrangements from a monetary institution, and in which the mobile radio exchange centers execute the functions of the service access exchange centers of the intelligent network.
DE-A-44 19 651 A1 likewise relates to a process and to a device for the calculating of charges for a connection sought by a subscriber over a mobile station in a cellular mobile radio network. There, in time context with the build-up, with the existence, and with the termination of the connection basic data which relate to origin and goal, type of service, beginning and end, are transferred from a mobile exchange center allocated in each case to the mobile station to a charge detection station. The charge detection station asks subscriber data from a data bank appropriate for the subscriber, these subscriber data containing information concerning the credit of the subscriber. In the charge detection center, during the connection charges to be debited are continuously calculated from the basic data and debited from the credit.
Underlying the invention is the problem of creating a process which permits in particular the simple use of all charging possibilities of the mobile radio fixed-network account from the fixed network and the mobile radio network.
Further underlying the invention is the challenge of creating a device for the implementation of the process of the invention.
The process of the invention is based on a charging by means of rechargeable pre-paid credit accounts, in the fixed network and in the mobile radio network, and it relates to a cost-effective execution of a fixed network/mobile radio integration. This integration occurs through the assigning of one or several mobile radio numbers to one and several fixed network call numbers.
A further advantage lies in the easy handling, and, namely, both from the viewpoint of the network operator, and also from the viewpoint of the end-customer.
A special advantage lies in the possibility of self-administration of the process by the customer, therefore, for example, in the rechargeability of his account and in the use of the service centers called upon. The allocation of the mobile radio and fixed network numbers, there, can be subjected to various time-wise allocation profiles and geographically conditioned by the mobility of the subscriber, therefore can be different according to place, time, and claimed end part. According to the invention, the call number allocation, and therewith the allocation profiles, can be altered and changed by the customer.
The telecommunication apparatuses do not need to be in the same telecommunication network in order to utilize the advantages of the telecommunication connections according to the invention, with which it must be a matter of at least two telecommunication apparatuses which are bound in each case in one telecommunication network and have at their disposal a connection to the particular communicating unit of the telecommunication network.
Insofar as in the application documents the term xe2x80x9ctelecommunication end apparatusesxe2x80x9d is used, there are meant thereby commercially usual fixed network telephones, telefax apparatuses, mobile radio apparatuses, etc., as well as combinations of these end apparatuses.
By a telecommunication connection, there, is meant there a message connection between at least two points, which can be achieved both over a cable connection such as television cables, local cables, subscriber cables, district cables, garden cables, CATV cables, or over a cableless connection such as Group Special Mode (GSM) 900, GSM 18000, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone (DECT), Cordless Telephone System (CTS), radio relay connections, acoustic or optical signal transmission, or via a combination of these message connections.
Within this network interconnection, according to the invention, there is arranged at least one charge-detection station in the mobile radio network, and same is connected with the exchange center via a telecommunication connection.
In principle there suffices there the linking of a fixed network and of a mobile radio network over one, preferably over a large number of network connection points is possible. It is also possible to link the different networks with one another via network connection points in such manner that there occurs an integration of the network connecting points for all the traffic flows coming in question.
Each subscriber end apparatus communicates with an exchange center over one of the above-described telecommunication connections.
The fixed network may consist of one, two, or of a number of local networks which are coupled over a trunk connection.
For each connection, data are inquired from a subscriber register which is deposited in the mobile radio network, which data are relevant for the calculation of charges. It is possible with the aid of the process of the invention to use different charge models for different subscribers or groups of subscribers. The identification of the caller is made over the Mobile Subscriber Integrated Service Network (MSISDN).
A connection out of the fixed network or the mobile radio network that is not covered by a credit can be prevented with the process of the invention in a simple manner by the means that transmission of the data to the charge detection center and the request for the subscriber data from the data bank occur already when a connection is requested and that in the absence of credit, the setting up of the requested connection is omitted, or that a connection to the CSC is established.
The process of the invention can be applied alternatively to conventional charge determinations. Thus, for example, the network operator can give the individual subscribers the choice as to by which process the charges are to be handled. The process of the invention has, furthermore, the advantage that it uses essentially the structures of the existing mobile radio networks and of the fixed networks, and it requires only a slight additional expenditure.
Further, the process of the invention offers to every user of a subscriber network the free choice of a lasting presetting or also of an individual case. Each subscriber communication end apparatus that wants to establish a connection to a connection in another subscriber network, can carry this out with the aid of a connection network operator identification number, for example 01077.
In case a subscriber changes location, then the preselection lists and the appertaining profiles are, under some circumstances, no longer optimally fitting for a connection build-up from the new locality. The invention, therefore, provides that in the case of a location change or in the case of the first utilization with a telecommunication end apparatus executed in this manner, a report is issued to the mobile radio network. This report contains all the important data to make it possible to sent the incoming calls correctly to the subscriber. Thus, for example, it can be established with the aid of the Calling Line Identity (CLI) where the subscriber is located at the time this report is made. The information can be used to recheck the data sets in the data bank, and, if necessary, to calculate new preselection lists for the end apparatus.
If the subscriber should already have stopped at this location and have stored profiles that must be used as a basis for telephone traffic from the new location, then by automatic detection and adaptation an optimal constellation is created, from which the customer can again, without more expenditure, automatically build up the most favorable connection.
The self-administration can be represented as follows: 
In accordance with the concept of this invention by which an automatic selection of the networks involved to achieve the most favorable constellation is made, Group Special Mobile (GSM), stored and forwarded to the subscriber""s network, this invention is suited especially for the use of an integrated telecommunication apparatus, such as, for example, a DECT-GSM Dual Mode end apparatus. A connection between end apparatuses can be established via different paths. There are, in each case, other connecting networks involved. The processes and devices proposed here provide an automatic selection of the most favorable constellation of the networks involved for the customer at the time of the conversation build-up and the networks involved in this connection. For this the preselection numbers of the possible Long Distance Carrier (VNB) are downloaded into the end apparatus of the customer and stored. According to an algorithm, in the input of the preselection, there is sought the most favorable VNB correspondingly for this connection and the connection for this is formed with the desired target address to the target subscriber network.
A device for executing the inventive process has a telecommunication network having at least one mobile-radio and one fixed network that contains at least two communication end apparatuses. The end apparatuses are allocated to the telecommunication network. The device should also have an exchange center in the fixed network and several networking connecting points between the mobile-radio and the fixed network, as well as a charge detection station that is in one network and linked to the other. The charge detection station functions to administer the customer""s account.
In another embodiment of the invention, the fixed network and/or the mobile network consist of two or more local networks and in which the fixed network and the mobile network are coupled by several networking connecting points. Also, at least one of the mobile radio networks has a charge detection station that is connected to an exchange station.
Other embodiments of the invention comprise a mobile radio network linked to a fixed network containing NIM, MSC, HLR, VMSC, SMCSC, a serial platform, for example Service Mode, AdC with GC-WA, CSC, BSC, BTS, Credit Card System, and at least one cellular phone which is provided with or without rechargeable or reusable telephone cards.
The invention is suited especially for the use of an integrated telecommunication end apparatus, such as, for example, a DECT-GSM Dual-Mode end apparatus. A connection between end apparatuses can be established over different paths. There are, in each case, other connecting networks involved.
The mobility can be represented as follows: 
For the downloading of the preselection numbers for the telecommunication transmitting apparatuses there is provided, according to the invention, a data bank which can be implanted into one or several networks or network parts. Further, a computer must access this data bank if necessary and send the corresponding data to the subscriber over suitable transmission paths and thus actualize the data sets in the end apparatus. The transmission is possible, for example, via signaling systems such as SMA, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), via data channels such as 9.6 kbit/s etc., as well as via Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tones. A precondition for this is that the end apparatus is conceived in such manner that an operation is possible both over the Local Carrier (TNB) network, and also over the VNB network. Such end apparatuses are already known and are designated as dual-mode end apparatuses or as multi-mode end apparatuses.
In the drawing the invention is illustrated with the aid of examples of execution-in-part schematically. In the drawing: